7 Ways I Accidentally Got More Twitter Followers (and 7 Ways You Can on Purpose!)

Just like you, I read all of those blog posts about how to get more Twitter followers. And while these articles all contain great, actionable advice, I definitely acquired a lot of my Twitter followers by accident.

Seriously.

I’d love to share with you how I accidentally started acquiring Twitter followers, and how you can adapt these methods to start getting followers on purpose.

How I got more Twitter followers

1. I mentioned my location

When I started my Twitter account at the end of college, one of the first accounts that I followed was my college’s account. One afternoon I mentioned that it was a glorious day in Naperville at North Central College.

The account replied to me, retweeted me, and all of a sudden I had a slew of Naperville-based businesses and Naperville-centric accounts following me.

How you can do this on purpose:

Even if you’re an internet-based business, you still live and work somewhere. Connect with your local businesses (as long as they aren’t competitors!), news sources, and city accounts. Most of them will be happy to follow back and then share a little love for their neighbors by retweeting and sharing your content with their followers. This should drive more Twitter followers back to you!

2. I mentioned smaller brands in Tweets

When I love a brand, I want everyone to know it. I’m horribly guilty of sometimes tweeting things like, “I totally love @randombrand,” but those are not the tweets that lead to new followers.

Yet when I mentioned how much I love Chicago-based Forever Yogurt in a blog post, I really wanted to let them know. So I mentioned them in a tweet with the link.

Not only did Forever Yogurt follow me back, but they also retweeted the article. Soon enough, some of Forever Yogurt’s followers started following me. I accidentally got followers and exposure.

How you can do this on purpose:

Write a blog post about another brand that isn’t in direct competition with you, but has a similar customer base. More likely than not, they’ll appreciate the kind words and retweet it to their followers. And if those followers think you’re interesting, they’ll follow you, too.

3. I replied to bigger brands

Just like I write those “I totally love @randombrand!” tweets, I also to reply to questions that big brands like Disney ask. I know that it’s doubtful that they’ll even read the reply, but it’s fun all the same. So when Disney asked about their theme parks, I replied.

Within a matter of minutes, I had at least ten new Twitter followers, and all of them were fellow Disney fans (or travel agents that wanted to sell me a Disney Cruise package).

But why?

Then I remembered that when you click on tweets from the web version of Twitter, you can see which public users reply to those tweets.

How you can do this on purpose:

Any user that clicks to expand a tweet from the web can see replies. So if they happen to like your reply, or you provide a link that seems interesting, they’ll probably follow you over. Like before, target brands that aren’t in direct competition with your business, but still cater to a similar client base.

4. I used Buffer to schedule relevant articles

I started using Buffer as a way to not bombard my small number of followers with five articles in the morning and then nothing for the rest of the day.

And yet, as I continued to use the service, I started noticing a steady increase of followers.

How you can do this on purpose:

Extend the life of your own blog posts and content by posting multiple times in one day, and then a couple times over the following week. Never be afraid to schedule an older post! Also, be one kick-ass content curator. Find other awesome people or brands in your niche and share really great articles. You’ll now be a source of excellent information that lots of people will want to follow. Overall, this is an awesome way to get more Twitter followers easily. (Managing social media for a lot of brands? Think about Buffer has social media management for business level, too!)

Which leads me to number five…

5. I mentioned individual authors in Tweets

Since I’m a writer/blogger myself, I know that getting recognition for a blog post feels awesome. So I decided to pay that feeling forward by mentioning individual authors in my tweets.

Both of these fantastic writers started following me once I mentioned them by name.

How you can do this on purpose:

Give love to the “little guy.” In addition to being a kick-ass content curator, take the extra step to find the Twitter handle of the author/designer of whatever content you want to share. That small effort will pay off in Twitter followers by the spades.

6. I replied to users that mentioned other users

When people say something that interests me on Twitter, I want to add to the conversation. So if they ask a question, I’ll reply. If they post an article that I find interesting or helpful, I’ll tell them.

After I replied to Dave, I ended up having a three person conversation with Dave and Zac. Shortly thereafter, Zac followed me.

How you can do this on purpose:

If you have a valuable comment or answer to offer, keep both user names in your reply. This will foster a conversation and will yield both followers and the beginning of a new online relationship. Chat it up with the thought leaders in your niche – most people are generally pretty nice on Twitter.

7. I Wrote Guest Posts

I started writing guest posts for a multitude of reasons: backlinks, exposure, and creating relationships with awesome people that maintain awesome blogs. At no point did I think, “Oh hey, I’m going to get a sea of new Twitter followers!” And yet, after my first guest post here on Buffer, I suddenly had a massive influx of new followers. I credit all of those followers to Leo, because he slipped my Twitter handle into my author bio:

How you can do this on purpose:

Write some fantastic guest posts and then make your Twitter handle one of your author links. Whether you hyperlink your name or give a call to action like “Follow her on Twitter here,” there’s no better way to naturally gather a whole bunch of Twitter followers in a short amount of time. If you’re craving even more tips to gather Twitter followers, definitely check out Gregory Ciotti’s post about the Twitter follow button, and Leo’s post about Twitter habits.

Your turn

But now over to you!

Have you ever done something that accidentally got you more Twitter followers? Have you been using any of these strategies on purpose? If so, how are they working for you?

Looking for a better way to share on social media?

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Mandy Kilinskis is a content developer for Quality Logo Products, a leading distributor of promotional merchandise. She’s responsible for writing snappy product descriptions and killer articles for their company blog. Feel free to say hi over @qualitylogo or @imamandajulius – she’ll reply either way.

amy swanson

Great post, Mandy! I’ve been on Twitter for a few months now and I’ve been trying to figure out how to get a wider audience to follow me. Your post has certainly given me a few ideas 😉 Thanks!

Thanks for the tips, Amy. I already use Buffer but getting into conversations and commenting on brands sounds pretty useful for getting more exposure. I mentioned the good gym recently, and they were really grateful for it and messaged me to say so.

No problem, John! I’m glad that the article gave you some ideas for your Twitter strategy! People and companies love positive exposure – especially if they’re a smaller brand themselves.

Jenna Markowski

These are all awesome tips, Mandy! I’m slowly but steadily becoming more active on Twitter, but I’m also really lazy. So learning about small things that I can do “by accident” to gain more followers is right up my alley!

Thanks, Jaimie! Twitter isn’t something that you can master overnight – I know that I still have things to learn. But luckily, there are lots of blog posts here on Buffer and on other blogs that can help people get up to speed!

Ted Slowik

Very good article, Mandy! Twitter’s about engagement. It’s better to have authentic dialogue with 10 followers than superfluous bragging rights about having 10,000 followers.

Truth! Could I have gone on a massive following spree and waited to see who followed me back? Of course! But that wouldn’t be nearly as valuable as taking the time to engage with others and gain them as followers after they see that you have something valuable to share.

Thank You Mandy I’m glad you think this way! I hate some of the random followers I get. They are usually random marketers. I still get some these days but at least I don’t get the NumberWang as much anymore.

Don’t get me wrong ANYONE can follow me but I choose not to play NumberWang.

Sorry JON, what is NumberWang? I didn’t get it.
Anyway, nice post from Mandy. I love it and I love it even more when I get more followers who appreciate my works (read: quality tweets).
Greetings from Indonesia to all 🙂

Dan Izzard

‘Numberwang’ is a reference I believe to a British sketch show created by ‘Mitchell & Webb’… That’s Numberwang!

I can now check this question off my bucket list of mysteries to solve. Thanks.

jev

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Bret Bonnet

So what you’re saying is… After 4 years of attending college at North Central College… all it ever really DID for you was get you a handful of local Twitter followers?!?!?

I agree With this and I also agree with the happy accident way of doing things 🙂 My biggest follower to date is Spotify because I bombarded them with questions for an Audio documentary I got the answers and they started following me (the follow was a happy accident I guess LOL)

great tips Mandy, i started to utilize some today, and I did see more engagement and even Re-tweets. There is so much social media, that you really have to pick and choose what works best and just keep working it, like anything else.
thanks, Dave

Thanks, Dave! And I’m glad to hear that the tips are working for you! And you’re right, there is a whole bunch of different social networks and you have to pick what’s best for you. For me, I use Twitter far more than Pinterest, but there are countless brands that see much more value in Pinterest. Whatever works, right? 🙂

Thanks for the article, Mandy! I came over here to find a Buffer logo (for an upcoming fan post) and found your great tips. I love the way you stress and explain interaction and relationships. I’m not promoting a business, and I’m pretty new to social media, but I can still put these tips to use for my writer’s blog. @darlawrites (added after reading the comment below!)

No problem, Darla! I’m glad that you can use these tips for your writer’s blog. I feel pretty confident that they can work for any business or individual regardless of niche or interest. Engaging with people is awesome no matter what!

Great post! I definitely think those are all great ways to gain more followers. One time I gained followers by accident was by participating in a webinar. I used the hashtag for the webinar and tweeted as it was happening. As a result, I gained followers and a bunch of RTs for that day. And the new people that followed me were ones interested in social media (my field) because the webinar itself was about social media.

Thanks, Lily! Participating in a webinar with the hashtag is awesome. It’s double-awesome that you gained a whole bunch of followers in your niche – especially social media! There are so many people in that niche! Mad props to you!

Thanks, Liz! The tips definitely are fun! I mean, who doesn’t want to gain more Twitter followers while also talking with some cool people and/or sharing content? That sounds like the best of both worlds to me! I’m glad that you’re seeing your following grow! 🙂

What a guy. And by the way, Jimmy, I accidentally gotyour conference name tag an’ I’m not ever ever going to wash my hands an’ you’re really great an’… WHAT A GUY.

imel Sed

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Your reputation on this public media website would rely on the number of supporters that you have. You can get well-known on this system by spending too much time trying to entice new supporters, which may take at least a few several weeks. On the other hand, you can buy tweets supporters that will instantly improve your reputation.

We can just agree to disagree. Your numbers will certainly look impressive if you buy followers. But without naturally-gained fans, you definitely won’t have the same level of engagement, value, or conversions.

-facepalm- I know. I really should’ve checked if that was an actual user name before I sent in this guest post. Alas, I did not know of this Australian heavy metal band, but I’m happy to give them a little love.

And I would say that number 6 is my favorite, too. And while you may be wordy, all of your words are crazy-valuable and I enjoy each one of them! 🙂

Anonymous

It seems Twitter has come to a point where all the good names are taken, and pretty soon all the unlikely ones will be as well.

I’d say conversations, RTs and hashtags have brought me more followers than anything else. I like to spread good ideas, guess people relate to that.
Speaking of, as long as we’re at the Bufferapp blog, I should come out as a brand-new user. Started last week in fact. What can I say, I’m a convert.

I think that’s the point which I have been missing in twitter, I didn’t reply to any big brands question by thinking they’re not going to notice it. But now I feel I was wrong it’ll certainly gives your opportunity to show your presence to other people.

Definitely. Big brands rarely reply to me, but other enthusiastic fans will! You never know where you’re going to connect on Twitter! 🙂

Jerry Dugan

“…but when they do, I Favorite and RT the heck out of those replies!” – The World’s Most Interesting Man should say this.

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Great article, Mandy – and refreshing. We don’t like the self-promotional aspect of broadcasting about ourselves on twitter (admittedly, we’ve tried), and aren’t big fans of following for no reason. Both seem inauthentic, and generally have a bad smell. Hoping we can be better twittezens as a result of this article, and still get the word out!

It’s been a few months since I’ve written this article, but the strategies are still working for both my personal account and my company’s account. One of the best things, by far, is mentioning authors by their personal handles. They’ll appreciate that you enjoyed their article so much you found their handle!

Love the article of geting followers for real, @biopacr will begin to use these ideas to attract #landscapers, #farmers & #ranchers @JHchamber http://biopacr.blogspot.com/ is my blog where I tell readers how I invented, patented and started a new company step by step. Hey, Am I doing it right? Thanks

very interesting article.. I came across it while on twitter actually, and I think it’s funny. Although I don’t care that much about having a ton of followers, it’s still true about engaging with your followers. I like how twitter opens new ideas, and new friendships. @katehurley4 🙂

hii , thats very good tips , although they didnt work much with me :/
but is there any way that we can share our twitter address for people to follow
or more like website for sharing our twitter @saharrabadi

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8 just go onto a blog and say “follow me on twitter” so you guys should follow me on twiiter @johnniecochran_

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follow me on twitter!: dysaniaaa

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Jackie Allum

Is anyone at the moment being plagued with fake followers? I mean last weekend I literally gained 8k of fake followers over the 2 days, and then ended up spending the next 2 days getting rid of them. Right now I just want my genuine followers to benefit from my posts but I’m getting fake followers tweeting rubbish at me all day long so I’m missing the genuine followers. Looks like the same is happening this weekend too, I stayed constant at 6k of followers this week now I’ve lost 1.5k of followers in 2 days. I’m expecting another influx if last weekend is anything to go by. One reason I’ve joined buffer today to see if that helps me retain my followers and gain new genuine ones. Thanks for these tips as I’m going to implement them today.

Shid Mansan

I’m gonna try this now, thanks for the good advice @ImAmandaJulius……

Chandra

Will try these methods as I am very new to twitter and internet marketing

Thanks for sharing this blog and helping tips for following on twitter. You have described very well about social media marketing, i like your advice. Social Media is the simple way to promote business online.

I guess I have to continue to get better w Twitter. Very good tips! I usually do it via mobile & just hit the twitter icon to share or retweet. Which doesn’t give me the opportunity to share a personal message. I don’t blog & don’t think I will for now. The 140 character thing kills me lol.

I’m new to twitter, so this article definitely provided some great insight. The tips are easy enough to follow, but my dilemma is finding the time to implement them all, along with establishing a presence on other social media platforms like instagram and FB

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i stumbled a blog from viralkick that talks about getting a lot of followers on twitter, i enjoyed reading the blog and i had understood the steps that it showed me. I noticed that their blogs are reliable because it’d helped me to gain more understandings on how to get lots of followers on twitter. Check out this blog; http://viralkick.com/blog/get-lot-followers-twitter/

This article is really helpful, cant remember how i came across to it but glad i did..;) recently created my account @SQTWebSolutions with very few followers now… will definitely hit a thousand followers in about a month. is it okay if i share your article on my website blog, http://www.sqtwebsolutions.com/blog

We love your article, Mandy! We have been using Buffer as well, and we’ve find it’s super helpful when it comes to planning your day on Twitter. As for the other tips, we are already employing some of them, and we must say, it really works! As a newly established company, we still find it difficult to get through to bigger platforms however. Any extra tips on that? Keep up the good work!

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